Canada's CD Tax Out of Hand?

[JP]

Oh boy. The Canadian Copyright Board has just announced that it is bringing back the tax on blank CDs, called the "private copying levy", in 2007.  The tax has created a huge distortion in the retail price of blankmedia, with as much as 70 percent of the purchase price nowheading directly to the music industry.
The Canada Gazette
Vol. 140, No. 8 — February 25, 2006

COPYRIGHT BOARD

FILE: Private Copying 2007

Statement of Proposed Levies to Be Collected on the Sale, in Canada, of Blank Audio Recording Media

Pursuant to subsection 83(6) of the Copyright Act, theCopyright Board hereby publishes the statement filed by the CanadianPrivate Copying Collective (CPCC) on February 16, 2006, with respect tothe levies it proposes to collect, effective January 1, 2007, on thesale, in Canada, of blank audio recording media.

In accordance with the provisions of the same subsection, the Boardhereby gives notice that any person who wishes to object to thestatement may file written objections with the Board, at the addressindicated below, within 60 days of the publication of this notice, thatis, no later than April 26, 2006.

Full document:  http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2006/20060225/html/suppl1-e.html

[Sportsdude]

I know what its meant for but where's the money going to go towards. I've always held the belief if my taxes are going towards something worth while then they can tax me all they want as long as I see results. Like new bridges, nice paved streets, expanding public transit, new buses. I'm a big fan of public works but then again I live in a state where they don't believe in public works and like to have there highways become gravel and don't believe in public transportation because it would bring black people into the rich white areas.

[CK]

In Canada, you even get taxed extra if you fart too much.

[Sportsdude]

sweet I hate people that fart. 

Maybe in Alberta they could use the money to build some hospitals in Calgary since Klein closed all of them. 

[CK]

There is a new hospital scheduled to be built and finished by 2009-2010. (I say longer due to the lack of skilled labour).

 

Note: I am not sticking up for Klein! hehe!

[kitten]

Maybe they could also do that in B.C. where Campbell closed so many hospitals.

[Sportsdude]

Doesn't that make like 2 hospitals in Calgary, then?

I've got 5 within 5 miles of my house.

[kitten]

That's great. Sportsdude, but a person could be in debt the rest of his/her life if they actually had to use them. 

[CK]

There is 3 major hospitals and 4 after the new one in Calgary. Not including the smaller hospitals in the bedroom communities.

Foothills is being renovated and expanded. There is also a brand new Childrens Hospital too.

[Sportsdude]

Ah it comes with the territory here. If you want to live you got to pay for it. After all that is the american way. Capitalism is our god. Its not in God we trust but In Capitalism we trust.

Oh and thats just the hospitals in my part of the county.

[CK]

I got a friend that is a nurse in Texas (from Canada), she is making crazy coin at a private surgery clinic. She does say though, if you are on welfare, you have decent coverage, if you land a sweet job with amazing benefits, you should have good coverage. If you are a hard working middle or lower class busy bee, you are SOL! Not sure if it is different from state to state?

[Sportsdude]

Its differnt from state to state. For example the gov. here in order to slash the budget cut 20,000 disabled people like (sam sullivan) and childern off of medicare. He also closed all the mental hospitals that housed 10,000 people.  The day it happend all the conservatives applauded his decision. 

[CK]

That is sad.

I do know Canada's system is far from perfect too. But, is there a perfect system anywhere?

[Sportsdude]

There is no real perfect system for big countries. Period. The u.s. would be better off with a dual system but something like that will never happen.

The scary thing about the private system is if you get in an accident and don't have your health card with you, you don't know where you are going to be taken to because most hospitals won't accept you.